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Languages

Studying Languages can unlock a fascinating new world of literature and culture. It can also provide you with a sound working knowledge of the language itself, enabling you to travel, live and work in non-English-speaking countries.

Examine the formations and foundations of language itself in a program in Linguistics, or pursue a program in modern language acquisition, literary and cultural studies in French Studies, or our many Language and Literature programs such as German Studies, Italian Studies, or Hispanic Studies. Other modern language acquisition courses are offered in Arabic, Chinese, Inuktitut, Japanese, Mohawk and Portuguese. Students interested in ancient languages can study Greek, Hebrew, and Latin. Even students who are not in a language concentration benefit greatly from taking language courses, whether they choose to take them to fulfill program requirements for a concentration in Global Development Studies, to enhance career prospects across cultures and nationalities, or purely for personal interest.

Classics refers to the study of the Greek and Roman worlds. Multi-disciplinary in approach, it involves the studies of history, literature, archaeology, religion, mythology, drama and philosophy, in addition to the ancient languages of Greek and Latin. Today our understanding of Greek and Roman culture is further enhanced by the latest digital techniques that increasingly pervade studies in archaeology, epigraphy, papyrology, and ancient science and medicine. At Queen’s, students have the opportunity to get hands-on experience in the latest techniques by participating in one of two archaeological excavations supervised by our own faculty, or through a variety of projects and assignments.

The Department of English offers a comprehensive undergraduate program that exposes students to English literatures from a large range of communities, historical periods, and geographical regions. All three English Plans (Major, Medial, Minor) attempt to balance the study of canonical writers, literary forms, and traditions with the study of previously marginalized or unknown writing. The program as a whole is designed to develop cross-cultural and historical literacies by encouraging students to engage with literatures from diverse histories and traditions through a range of disciplinary and interdisciplinary approaches.

The Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures is a multidisciplinary unit that offers students the opportunity to learn languages, develop an understanding of literary and cultural traditions, and pursue studies in the field of Linguistics. The Department offers language courses in Anishinaabemowin, Arabic, Chinese, German, Hebrew, Inuktitut, Italian, Japanese, Mohawk, Portuguese, and Spanish, and Degree Plans in German Studies; Indigenous Studies; Italian; Languages, Literatures and Cultures; Linguistics; Hispanic Studies; Spanish and Latin American Studies; and World Language Studies.

Scholarships

Certainly it is true that “A” students tend to get scholarships. But it is important to remember that many of our scholarships use grades as just one criterion when assessing you for scholarships: research experience, job experience, and evidence of communication, leadership and interpersonal skills are all important components.